Managing Director, Special Events

Company Description

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 54 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 32,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more fair world.

Founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, we are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. KIPP Texas is a team and family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in belongingness, academic success and joy.

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 278 schools with nearly 16,500 educators and 190,000 students and alumni.

Job Description

The Special Events Team at KIPP Texas plans and executes impactful events that celebrate student achievements, engage the community, and strengthen philanthropic support for KIPP Texas’s mission and vision. KIPP Texas is seeking a Managing Director of Special Events to lead our efforts in developing, planning, and implementing key fundraising events, college commitment ceremonies, graduations, and other KIPP TX mission aligned events. As a key member of the Talent division leadership team, this individual will play a critical role in shaping and implementing a strategic talent and special events vision with a focus on best-in-class event planning. Reporting to the Chief Talent Officer, this leader will oversee a high-performing team responsible for creating and implementing a statewide strategy of special events. The ideal candidate is a relentless drive to deliver results and who is energized by the opportunity to serve as an internal and external leader for the organization, galvanizing diverse stakeholders in support of KIPP Texas’s mission.

As the Managing Director of Special Events you will be held accountable to:

• Raising $1 million dollars annually through events in partnership with the Executive Director of the KIPP Texas Future Fund
• Special Events operational excellence (e.g. attendance, on time and within budget events)
• 75% positivity on the staff engagement survey, with 80% participation

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Division Leadership 

• Serve as a key senior leader within the Talent Division, shaping overall human capital and special events strategies so Big KIPPsters can flourish and lead students to exceptional personal and academic success.
• Develop and oversee a statewide, multi-year special events strategy aligned with the fundraising and the talent division’s strategic plan. 
• Serve as a thought partner to the Chief Talent Officer, providing reports and insights on philanthropic and special events trends.
• Support the Chief Talent Officer in strategic and operational management of the talent division, including identifying and designing solutions to division opportunities, risks and challenges.
• Champion KIPP Texas’ mission and core values, modeling our values in your work, decisions, and relationships.
• Model the Talent Division’s culture to foster high-performance, inclusion, and belonging. Co-lead key division culture initiatives.
• Manage special events budgets and resource allocation, ensuring cost-effective strategies that yield high-impact results.
• Build a network of engaged stakeholders and special events partners across the organization.
• Provide reports and insights to the Board of Directors, CEO, Chiefs team to support effective management of the short and long term health of the organization.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high performing special events team of five, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability to meet goals.
• Foster a collaborative, mission-driven culture within the team, aligning all efforts with the broader organizational mission and values.
• Establish accountability measures, tracking progress, celebrating successes, providing regular coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities to team members.
• Encourage innovation and continuous improvement, empowering team members to test new ideas, streamline processes, and enhance special events.

Special Event Strategy & Execution

• Lead the vision and execution of all KIPP Texas special events, including development events, high school graduations, col